


Unrequited

by Lanerose



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Don't copy to another site, F/F, F/M, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Post-Canon, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-29 15:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17205971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lanerose/pseuds/Lanerose
Summary: A couple of weeks after the Vecna fight, things finally calm down in Vasselheim, and people who have been too busy to worry make a trip to Whitestone to check in on their friends.





	Unrequited

**Author's Note:**

  * For [owlmoose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlmoose/gifts).



> Happy Critmas, Owlmoose! Thank you for the fantastic prompts, I really enjoyed working on this.

The clean-up of Vasselheim was a slow and boring process that forced Kash to spend way too much time with idiots.  So many idiots.  If the Take’s structural integrity was at risk, it needed to be shored up.  If you couldn’t do that with magic, you found someone who could, or you did it the old-fashioned way.  Every other building worked exactly the same way.  This wasn’t rocket science, whatever that was, but it apparently went over the heads of a lot of the morons in Vasselheim.

Which was why, after an exhausting two and a half weeks, Kashaw and Zahra were indulging themselves. They were curled up in bed, far later into the morning than either of them usually allowed.  Kashaw was spooned around Zahra, his hand resting on her ever-so-slightly expanded stomach.

There was a knock at the door.

“Go away,” mumbled Kashaw, unmoving.

Whoever was outside knocked again, louder.

“Go. Away.” Kashaw repeated, louder.

“You’re being too gentle, Allie,” said a familiar voice.  “Let me try.”

Thud.  Thud.  SLAM!

The door burst open to reveal a small halfling figure dressed in silver plate armour, accompanied by a taller human woman with blonde hair. 

“See, honey,” Kima said sweetly, “I told you they were here!”

“Go.  Away!” Kashaw shouted, pulling the pillow out from under their heads and throwing it blindly at the figures in the door.  This, it seemed, was what finally roused Zahra, who had been sleeping more heavily than usual during her pregnancy.

“What?” Zahra said hazily, stretching.  “What’s going on?”

“I do apologize for waking you so early,” said arcanist Allura Vysoren, “but we are planning to go check up on Vox Machina, and Kima insisted that we should invite you to come with us to Whitestone.”

“Check up on them?” Kashaw’s voice rose incredulously.  “Those assholes were perfectly fine after the battle with Vecna, what’s there to check up on?”

Zahra pushed herself up, Kashaw mirroring her and supporting her into a sitting position.  “Kash might be lacking in couth, but he’s correct that the seven of them were all well the last time that we saw them.  Surely even they couldn’t get into much trouble in Whitestone in a few short weeks?”

Kima and Allura exchanged glances.

“Oh no,” Kashaw shook his head.  “No, no, no. Those idiots don’t need rescuing again already.”

“No,” said Allura, “I’m afraid it’s something quite a bit worse than that.”

~

The story was almost too much to be true.  Vax’ildan, disintegrated by Vecna in a fight a week before they last saw him. Vax’ildan, brought back to life by his patron.  Vax’ildan, taken away again the evening of Vox Machina’s greatest victory.  But when it was told, there was no longer any question about whether Zahra and Kashaw would be going to Whitestone.

It was midday when Allura teleported their group from Vasselheim, which made it early morning when they arrived in Whitestone.  Allura had brought them in just outside the castle, and led them swiftly through the halls to Cassandra’s office, on the theory that she would be able to direct them to the rest of Vox Machina.  Cassandra welcomed them in, offering tea, which they declined.

“Sorry to trouble you so early in the day,” said Allura, “but we were hoping you could direct us to the members of Vox Machina.”

Cassandra’s face paled. “Is something – “

“There’s no danger,” Allura said, spreading her hands peacefully before herself.  “With repairs mostly completed in Vasselheim, we just now had time to make sure that our friends are bearing up well under recent circumstances.”

“Well,” said Cassandra, “the night of Vecna’s defeat, Grog did something involving a deck of cards that resulted in his soul being expelled from his body and trapped in a hell plane, from which the rest of Vox Machina successfully retrieved him.  They returned only a few days ago.”

For a moment, there was silence.

“Wow,” said Kashaw. “Just.  Wow.”

“They do get into an impressive amount of trouble, don’t they?” Zahra said, laughing ever so slightly.

“Quite,” replied Cassandra. “In any event, my brother and Vex’ahlia can be found at her estate.  Serenrae’s Pike is staying with them as well.  Scanlan and Grog have rooms here in the castle for the moment, though my understand is that they and Pike will be retiring to Westruun in the next week or two to visit Pike’s grandfather.”

“And Keyleth?” asked Zahra.

“Gone already.” Cassandra shook her head.  “She left the day that they returned from Pandemonium, claiming that she had been gone from her people for too long.”

Kashaw and Zahra exchanged glances.

“Zee – “

“I know, darling.” Zahra cut Kashaw off and turned to Allura.  “Lady Allura, I wonder if I might trouble you to bring Kashaw on to Zephrah to check on Keyleth?  I have not yet visited the Air Ashari and cannot bring him there myself.  I would be happy to bring Lady Kima back to Vasselheim with me.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Kima interjected.  “I’ve got my own way back home from just about anywhere.  Could even bring you if I wanted.  And, Allie…”

“Right.”  Allura smiled, though the expression did not touch her eyes. 

“We’ll check in on the others, Lady Allura,” said Zahra.  “Kashaw, you understand why I can’t – “

“Right, right,” Kashaw waved her off, “go look in on Vex.  But no giving her arrows if I’m not around to see it, right?”

“Of course not, darling.”

Kashaw turned to Allura and offered her his hand.  “Well?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

And in a flash of arcane magic, they teleported for the second time that morning.

~

It was mid-morning in Zephrah when they landed, the sun crested over the mountain and heading into the sky. 

“What the hell - ?” said Kash as the wind whipped past them.

“Natural defenses,” Allura replied.  “Quite clever of the Air Ashari, really, and presumptively the reason that their home is atop this mountain.”

“Great.” Said Kash. “Where do we find Keyleth?”

Allura shook her head, and pointed into the sky.  In the distance, a figure appeared, revealing itself to be more like a glider as it approached. 

“We don’t find her, she finds us.”

But the person who landed at their side was not red-haired half-elf they had come to see, but rather an older half-elven man with long silver hair.  When he landed his glider, he took a few steps forward, limping as he did so.

“Lady Allura,” he said, “you were not expected.”

“My apologies for arriving unexpectedly, Korrin,” Allura replied, “but we felt it necessary to check on Keyleth at the earliest opportunity.”

Korrin stood straighter. “Do you know what happened?  She and Vax’ildan were in high spirits when they departed some weeks ago, but she returned a few days ago, told us not to expect Vax’ildan, and has not spoken of anything but tribe business since.”

“Yeah,” said Kashaw, eyeing the small village, “where is she?”

“This way,” Korrin said, gesturing for them to follow him as he led them deeper into the town. 

Kashaw tuned out both Korrin and Allura as they walked, since Allura would do a better job of explaining things than he could – she had been there when Vax left, after all.  The small town of Zephrah explained a lot about Keyleth as she had been the first time they met.  It was a quiet, peaceful place, if the wind didn’t bother you. Kashaw didn’t think he’d ever get to that point, but he could see how it would be different for someone who had been born here. 

At length, Korrin led them to the highest building in the area.  It was marked outside with a sigil that Kashaw didn’t recognize, but presumed was some sort of ashari-glyph.  Korrin stopped outside.

“I…” Korrin paused. He bowed to them, then raised his head. “I don’t know to help her. Please, anything that you can do for our headmistress - - for my daughter - - “

“Right.”

Kashaw turned and walked into the home, brushing aside the beaded door covering.  Behind him, he could hear Allura explaining that Korrin should not be offended by his manners or lack thereof.  As if he needed anyone to make excuses for him.  Inside, Keyleth was seated at a desk, her head bent low over paperwork.

“I said no visitors today, thank you,” Keyleth said without glancing up.

“So, what, your boyfriend dies and don’t even bother to send me a message?” said Kashaw.

Keyleth glanced up immediately, startled.  “Kash!”

“Yeah, was there someone else you forgot to tell who might show up to yell?”

“I don’t know, maybe?” Keyleth tilted her head sideways. “What are you doing here, Kash?”

Kashaw walked deeper into the room, sitting down in the chair opposite Keyleth’s desk and kicking his feet up onto it.  “Does it matter?”

“I don’t know, does it?” Keyleth shook her head and squinted at him.  “I’m busy, go away.”

Kashaw’s right eyebrow rose involuntarily.  “So it’s like that, huh?”

“Like what?  I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t.” Kashaw let his feet fall off the desk and leaned forward.  There were unfamiliar dark circles lingering under Keyleth’s eyes.  “When was the last time you slept?”

“I sleep all the time!” Keyleth protested, shaking her head again.  “Besides, I’m very busy.  Being Headmistress of the Air Ashari is a full-time job.”

“Sure.”

“Really, Kash!”

“Uh-huh.”

“I mean it!”

“I’m sure you do.”

“Argh!”  Keyleth pushed back from her desk, walking around it. She grabbed Kashaw’s arm and tried to pull him from it, but strength had never been her charm point when she wasn’t in elemental form.

“What are you doing?” Kashaw asked, staring at her hand on his arm.

“Suggesting that you should leave!” said Keyleth, tugging on his arm again.  “I’m very busy.” 

“Uh-huh.” Kash replied. “And that’s why you didn’t bother to tell me that Vax had died?”

“Why would I?” asked Keyleth.  “It is what it is, and there’s nothing any of us can do about it.”

“ _Nothing –_ “

“Nothing!”  She looked away.  “Don’t you think we tried? He said – “

“What?”

Keyleth kept her head turned away and let her hand fall off his sleeve.  She turned and walked back around her desk.

“Just go, Kash. There’s nothing for you here.”

Kash waited a long moment, unmoving.

“What did he say, Keyleth?” he asked quietly.

“Kash – “

“What did he say?” he repeated, more loudly.  Keyleth flinched as if he’d struck her.  “Look, I already think he’s an asshole, so it’s not like you’re going to ruin my opinion of him.”

“Oh my god he is,” Keyleth said, and there was a laughter that bubbled up inside her.  “He’s such an asshole.”

Kashaw stood.  “You’re starting to freak me out, Keyleth.”

“No, no, it’s just – “ Keyleth laughed, harder still.  “We were finally happy.  Like, we were so happy!”

“Okay…?”

“And then – “ she put her arm on the chair, still laughing.  “And then he got disintegrated and didn’t wait for us to resurrect him! So he made a deal with the Raven Queen instead, and – “

“And?”  Kash started walking slowly around the desk, carefully. 

“And then he told us not to fight her after we beat Vecna, and that he was okay with going to the after life,” said Keyleth, and closer, Kash could see the tears streaking down her face, “and oh my gosh, what kind of suicidal asshole does that?”

Kash put a hand tentatively on Keyleth’s shoulder.  “Yeah, he’s a real dick.”

“He is!  He totally is!  And I am – I am so angry at him!”  Keyleth gasped out amidst the laughter and the tears and frankly alarming amount of moisture on her face.  She stumbled forward leaning into Kashaw.  He turned, and in the doorway stood Allura, who pantomimed giving a hug. Kashaw wrapped his arms around Keyleth. Allura flashed him a thumbs up and ducked back out.

“Why did he do it, Kash? Why would he just give up on us like that?”  Keyleth’s voice was muffled against his shirt, but still audible.

Kashaw sighed, and patted her back again.  “I don’t know.”

“And now – what am I supposed to do?”  Keyleth’s voice was still tinged with hysterics.  “It feels like I don’t know how to breathe without him.  My heart isn’t where it’s supposed to be.  So what do I do?”

“Breathe,” Kashaw said. “You need to breathe.  Worry about the rest of it later.”

“I can’t – I – “

“Just breathe.” He repeated. 

Unfortunately, Keyleth had never been good at doing what she was told, and her breathing sped up again until she went limp in his arms.  He sighed, and scooped her up.  Kashaw looked around the office, and couldn’t find a bedroom attached to it.  He walked outside, looking for Korrin or Allura, but both had apparently stepped away.  Kashaw sighed. 

“You’re lucky I don’t hate you,” he grumbled into her hair as he continued on to the nearest building.

**Author's Note:**

> All love is unrequited. ~ Susan Ivanova, Babylon 5


End file.
